Will our damnedest persuade Cesc to stay?

Peter Hill-Wood has weighed into the Cesc Fabregas debate, saying that we don't want Cesc to leave, and that we will do our "damnedest" to keep him. I hope our "damnedest" includes cracking open the transfer kitty to buy four or five top quality players, hiring a defensive coach to help out management, and doing an intensive review of our injury-management protocol. Because if our "damnedest" is just to offer Cesc more money and try and fob him off with promises of a brighter future, I'd actually encourage Cesc to go back to Barcelona. Cesc is 23 and doesn't want to waste another season killing time at Arsenal. He wants to be a contender.

We've also signed Marouane Chamakh from Bordeaux on a free. It's a transfer that's been 12 months in the making, and let's hope that it's the first of several new acquisitions. We need at least a couple more to make the team stable. Chamakh had this to say:

"This is a dream come true and a great joy to be joining Arsenal. My goal was always to play in the Premier League and Arsenal was the choice of my heart. Without any hesitation, Arsenal was my preferred club. The team and history of Arsenal, they make me dream. My goal was to join Arsenal out of the all the English clubs because it is a club that makes me dream and I have been a fan since I was a child."

I’m very excited about playing at Emirates Stadium in front of the Arsenal supporters. I have heard many great things about the stadium and I cannot wait to be playing there in an Arsenal shirt. I will give my best to this Club, the Club that I used to support. We have many great players at Arsenal and I will be giving everything to help the team win trophies next season.”

It's a nice thing he says at the end, that he will be "giving everything to help the team win trophies next season". Some gooners will be deflated at the signing of Chamakh, and some will be delighted. But no one will give a fuck what they thought of Chamakh's arrival if he helps us win a trophy next season.

That's the crux of it, I suppose. Cesc wants trophies. Chamakh wants trophies. Gooners want trophies. About the only people who don't want trophies are Arsene Wenger, who's so trophy-starved that he thinks that 3rd place is a trophy, and the board, who thinks a financial position is a trophy. The problem is that those are the people who will decide whether we have the squad to compete for trophies.

So on the 336th last day of my 20s, I went for a jog in the morning and then went to work. Thought about calling the girl of my dreams in a break, but it was so busy that I didn't have time. Thinking about doing it now, but don't know what to say. Brother and his family are over for dinner. Think about it later.